Investigating the developmental processes of nasal contour shape

Nasal contour shape (NCS) is considered to be a useful indicator of ancestry in humans, which would imply that it is minimally affected by environmental factors over short periods of time. However, it is unclear whether differences in NCS are largely determined by genetics, exhibit responses to environmental factors (e.g., plasticity resulting from climatic factors), or are a combination of the two. One method for examining this looks at the integration of cranial shape. High correlations between NCS and other regions of the cranium, such as the vault and cranial base, may indicate ontogenetic constraint. This study tests three hypotheses: basicranial dimensions are correlated with nasal contour shape; cranial vault shape correlates with nasal contour shape; human groups significantly vary in the shape of the nasal contours. Seventy‐six crania of adult humans from three populations were utilized: Arikara, American “blacks,” and American “whites.” Preliminary results unexpectedly indicate no significant differences in NCS exist between population groups. Phenotypic correlations were calculated and results indicate that nasal contour shape is not significantly correlated with cranial vault shape or basicranial dimensions. Grant Funding Source : AAA